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'Can't believe he is alive': Praise for hero racing driver who saved British rival from fireball

Read the original at Daily Mail ↗
Cite

Hicks, G., & Todd, O. (2026, September 7). 'Can't believe he is alive': Praise for hero racing driver who saved British rival from fireball. Daily Mail. https://www.dailymail.com/sport/othersports/article-16110921/brit-racing-driver-shanghai-crash-fireball-ollie-millroy.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

Daily Mail · collected 2026-09-07 · by Gethin Hicks, Oliver Todd

Quick Summary

Ollie Millroy, a 36-year-old British racing driver, was involved in a crash during a China GT event at Shanghai International Circuit. His Ferrari burst into flames after being hit by two other cars, but he was rescued from the wreckage by rival Loek Hartog, who sacrificed his chances of winning to save him. Millroy's wife Fern is grateful for Hartog's actions and credits him with saving her husband's life, saying "I still can't believe he's alive, purely down to our real-life superhero Loek Hartog." According to Millroy's wife, he suffered serious injuries including six broken ribs and metal implants in his right hand.
Written by AI on 2026-09-07, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

A racing incident at the Shanghai International Circuit in China has resulted in a British driver, Ollie Millroy, being trapped inside his Ferrari after it burst into flames following a crash with two other cars. Loek Hartog, a Dutch driver and rival of Millroy's, stopped to pull him out of the car, using an extinguisher to put out the fire before freeing Millroy from the other side of the vehicle. Millroy suffered significant injuries in the incident, including six broken ribs and damage to his hand and lung, but was able to thank Hartog for saving his life on social media. The organizers of the China GT Championship have announced that they will review the safety procedures at the circuit following the incident.

Written for “Heroic Racing Driver Rescue” on 2026-11-01, grounded in this article and the 3 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 Heroic Racing Driver Rescue
Sports · 4 article(s) covering the same event. Compare every outlet's account →

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 6% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
ABC News (AU)
Hedges 0 of 4 claims Outlet record 68/100
ABC News (US)
Hedges 0 of 1 claims Outlet record 70/100
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
35
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
6%
2 of 35 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
68/100
Daily Mail's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
4
Sports
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-09-07 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

Daily Mail · 8606 article(s) · 20 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 20 correction(s)

Who wrote this

Gethin Hicks
53 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
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🔮 If some didn't like it then they could have walked out!
Also by Gethin Hicks
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 53 articles by Gethin Hicks →
Oliver Todd
3 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 Kompany will undergo thorough examination in the hospital and remain in medical care.
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🔮 I don't remember anything between 30 seconds before the crash and 1 hour after it, but I will remember his incredible act of bravery for the rest of my life.
Also by Oliver Todd
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.

Topics

China Daily Mail Dutch Ferrari Shanghai

Subjects

Millroy PERSON · 6× Fern PERSON · 5× Hartog PERSON · 5× Loek Hartog PERSON · 5× Ollie PERSON · 4× Shanghai GPE · 3× China GPE · 2× Dutch NORP · 2× Loek PERSON · 2× Daily Mail ORG · 1×

Narrative

- See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source The wife of the British racing driver whose Ferrari burst into flames says she cannot believe he is not dead – and credits his rival who rushed to his rescue for keeping him alive.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-09-07
🔮 I don't remember anything between 30 seconds before the crash and 1 hour after it, but I will remember his incredible act of bravery for the rest of my life.

Claims (35 extracted, 2 hedged)

- See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source The wife of the British racing driver whose Ferrari burst into flames says she cannot believe he is not dead – and credits his rival who rushed to his rescue for keeping him alive. asserted
who → see → him
Ollie Millroy, 36, had been racing in a China GT event at Shanghai International Circuit when two cars smashed into his Ferrari while navigating a bend. asserted
cars → race → bend
In video footage of the incident, Millroy's vehicle is seen spiralling off the track while aggressive flames and huge plumes of smoke billow above it. asserted
flames → see → it
Rival Dutch driver Loek Hartog is then seen pulling up beside the wreckage before hurriedly unbuckling his seat belt and jumping out – sacrificing his chances of winning in the process. asserted
Hartog → see → process
Millroy's wife Fern is at his hospital bedside in Shanghai and this morning gave an update on the father-of-three's condition while crediting Hartog with saving his life. asserted
wife → give → life
'Surgery went well yesterday,' Fern wrote. asserted
Fern → go → ?
'It took several hours, main work being his right hand. asserted
work → take → hours
He now has metal along the entirety of his clavicle right side, metal inside his right hand, six broken ribs supported with a compression wrap and on high flow oxygen whilst his lung recovers. asserted
lung → have → oxygen
Ollie Millroy's wife was amazed to see him alive after his fireball crash in Shanghai The driver almost lost his life after a crash in the China GT sent his vehicle up in flames asserted
crash → see → flames
Millroy was trapped and rescued from his burning car by Dutch driver Loek Hartog 'Tried to come off the oxygen but his O2 level was just too low. asserted
level → trap → oxygen
He is in great care at this fantastic hospital in Shanghai and we can't thank the staff here enough. asserted
we → thank → staff
'I still can't believe he's alive, purely down to our real life superhero Loek Hartog.' asserted
he → believe → superhero
Ollie and Fern married in October 2021 and have three young children. asserted
Ollie → marry → children
Through a camera near the driver's seat of Hartog's car, the 23-year-old can be seen desperately rummaging through the Ferrari's remains in a bid to free Millroy, who had become trapped in the fireball. asserted
who → see → fireball
Hartog today wrote: 'Overwhelmed by the support from everyone over the past two days. asserted
Hartog → write → days
I feel incredibly lucky to be part of a racing community that looks after each other the way this one does. asserted
one → feel → other
It really means a lot. asserted
It → mean → lot
I'm travelling back home now and honestly can't wait to be there. asserted
I → travel → ?
I'm feeling good for now, but there have naturally been a lot of thoughts running through my head over the past few days. asserted
I → feel → days
Ollie and Fern have been married since October 2021 and have three children Fern hailed Millroy's rival Loek Hartog and credited him with saving her husband's life ' asserted
Fern → marry → life
Most importantly, I want to make sure those thoughts and everything we've experienced are directed towards something constructive. asserted
we → want → something
In Ollie's words: making sure that no two people ever have to go through the same thing again in the future.' asserted
people → make → future
From hospital, Millroy thanked the Dutchman for 'saving his life'. asserted
Millroy → thank → life
He wrote: 'I am still alive tonight, entirely thanks to one man. asserted
I → write → man
Loek Hartog stopped instantly with no flag marshals or fire crews in sight, and risked his own life to get me out of the car. asserted
Hartog → stop → car
I don't remember anything between 30 seconds before the crash and 1 hour after it, but I will remember his incredible act of bravery for the rest of my life. asserted
I → remember → life
'One day I will tell our three kids this story and Loek will be the biggest superhero in history in their eyes too. asserted
Loek → tell → eyes
I'm laying here tonight with five broken ribs, broken collar bone, broken hand and finger and a bruised lung, but it could have been much worse. uncertain
it → lay → ribs
Hartog has been hailed as a 'superhero' for his 'selfless act' in saving his rival ' asserted
Hartog → hail → rival
I owe you my life for your selfless act today.' asserted
I → owe → act
Hartog, meanwhile, posted on his own social media: 'When I saw a car turning into a huge fireball far ahead, there wasn't really a decision to make. asserted
car → post → fireball
'From what I had seen, I genuinely believed the driver might not be able to get out by himself. uncertain
driver → see → himself
I stopped, got out and went towards the car. asserted
I → stop → car
There were moments where I didn't know I would actually be able to get Ollie out. asserted
I → be → Ollie
But this isn't about what I did, and I'm sure many people in the same position would have reacted exactly the same way.' asserted
people → react → position
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